IADC North Sea Chapter celebrates 40th anniversary, industry safety milestones
![The IADC NSC held its annual Safety Awards Ceremony on 10 May in Aberdeen. In attendance were (from left) Dougie Vipond, MC; NSC co-chairman Darren Sutherland, Prospector Offshore Drilling; 2013 IADC chairman David Williams, Noble Corp; and NSC co-chairman Gavin Sutherland, KCA Deutag.](https://drillingcontractor.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/WJT_4482-300x214.jpg)
By Amy Rose, IADC director of external relations
David Williams, 2013 IADC chairman and chairman, president and CEO of Noble Corp, gave the IADC address at the event. The industry address was given by Moe Plaisance, vice president, governmental and industry affairs with Diamond Offshore Drilling.
In his remarks, Mr Williams detailed IADC’s commitment to safety, discussing initiatives that will make a positive impact on the industry. “At the end of the day, even one fatality is too many. A commitment to operating safely, with zero incidents and zero injuries, remains the driving force behind all of IADC’s initiatives and programs. By working together, we can ensure that our teams are prepared, trained and able to work safely wherever our assets are deployed around the world,” he said. “I applaud the winners of these awards for proudly demonstrating these values and for your continued contribution to the success of IADC.”
![Left: NSC co-chairman Darren Sutherland (left) presents the Chairman’s Award to Paul Ellis, Archer, at the safety awards ceremony. Middle: Several past NSC chairmen attended the ceremony: (front row, from left) Chris Ness, Hercules Offshore; Tom Bates, Lime Rock Partners; Bob Mankin, Maersk Drilling; Bob MacChesney, Pacific Drilling; (back row, from left) Moe Plaisance, Diamond Offshore; Mike Salter, consultant; and Steve Rae, Archer. Right: Darren Sutherland (left) presents the Val Hood Award to Steve Rae.](https://drillingcontractor.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Untitled-1-300x76.jpg)
Awards were presented based on safety performance in 2012. Winners included:
- Jackup Category: Northern Offshore and Ensco;
- Semisubmersible category: Noble Drilling and Stena Drilling;
- Platform category: Archer;
- Drillship category: Stena Drilling.
Merit awards for outstanding safety performance over a number of years were presented to drilling operations on KCA Deutag’s Kvitebjorn and Archer’s Veslefrikk B and Valhall IP. The Environmental Award was presented to KCA Deutag, and the Associate Member Award was given to ScanTech Offshore.
![web_WJT_4619](https://drillingcontractor.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/web_WJT_4619-300x240.jpg)
Paul Ellis of Archer was recognized for his safety leadership with the Chairman’s Special Award.
Archer’s Steve Rae, a former chapter chairman, was presented with the first Val Hood Award for Services to the Drilling Industry. The award is given in memory of Val Hood, a dedicated chapter employee for more than 14 years who lost her battle with cancer in 2012.
Additionally, the chapter raised almost £7,000 during the evening, matching it with an additional £7,000, which will be evenly divided and donated to Cancer Support for All (CLAN) and Cancer Research UK.